Como dizer "Espinha dorsal" em inglês

Como se fala espinha dorsal em inglês?

No sentido figurado: algo que dá sustentação, a base que mantém funcionando.

A. Os investigadores descobriram a espinha dorsal da organização criminosa.
B. Estes dois grupos são a espinha dorsal do governo.

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1 resposta
PPAULO 6 49 1.3k
Those two groups are the backbone of the government.
Those two groups are the backbone of the current administration.
Those two groups are the backbone of the current/present government.

The administration would mean the president/prime minister ruling at the time of speaking (or if you name it - another time, as in Reagan's administration, etc).
Government is more generic in kind, but we could refer to the "current" one, which is the same as the current administration.

To your sentence the following would do:
Those two groups are the backbone of the administrative system (like Public service/civil servants and government officials, for instance).

By stating that they are the backbone administrative system would put the president/prime minister/ruler of the hour out of the equation. That is, the system works regardless who is the POTUS, PM, POB (President of Brazil), what you have. :-)

May many people fluent in grammar would prefer:
Those two groups is the backbone of the government.

Because there is only one backbone in a body (though my spell checker suggests 'ARE'...), so I leave this puzzle to more advanced members of the EE. :-)